"When you're part of something greater than yourself, how can you fail?"

His training philosophy as a strength and conditioning coach centers around character development as a core principle - an approach that happens to lend itself well to community advocacy and fundraising as an avenue and outlet for personal growth (all while getting an incredible workout at the same time). That’s why Eric Mitchell just knew, immediately, that he had to step in and help out when he heard about Connor Dobbyn and his  plight with Sanfilippo Syndrome.

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​Pennsylvania resident Eric Mitchell has been a strength and conditioning coach for over 30 years, having worked with many high-level amateur and professional athletes along the way. His training philosophy and mentality as both a coach and community leader were shaped in large part by two early mentors in his coaching career - Bill Parisi (founder of Parisi Speed School) and Martin Rooney (founder of Training For Warriors, or TFW). Both men were early proponents of a coaching approach that centers around character development, and developing the athlete both physically and mentally. Eric had found his passion, and he never looked back.

The special needs community has always occupied a big place in Eric's heart.  His mother Norma was a special needs teacher for 47 years at the highly acclaimed Vanguard School in Malvern PA, and his own son Cole has had some pretty harrowing developmental challenges along his childhood.  Helping others in the community that are in need, for Eric, is more than just an option. For him it's a moral obligation.  And that 'pay it forward' attitude is contagious - not just within his TFW gym, but within the community as well.  

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